Alaska senator blocks Naval chief confirmation amid row with Pentagon over military base: Report

Alaska Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan is reportedly blocking the confirmation of Admiral Daryl Caudle as Chief of Naval Operations in hopes that the Pentagon will reopen a military base in his state.

Caudle was nominated last month to replace former Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti, after she was removed from her post in February amid a wider Pentagon shake-up under a new presidential administration.

The nominee was approved by the Senate Armed Services Committee in a Tuesday vote, but Sullivan is holding up the final chamber-wide confirmation until the Pentagon reopens the long-shuttered Adak Naval Air Station, per Politico.

Sullivan has not commented on the hold, but has pushed for the U.S. military to expand operations in Alaska in order to deter Russian and Chinese activities in the region. He has also secured support in his calls to reopen the base from high-ranking military officials. The base is located off the coast of Alaska, in the Aleutian Islands, and has been closed since 1997. 

The move is not Sullivan's first use of the tactic in order to get military concessions. He also blocked some of the Biden administration's Pentagon choices and temporarily held up the promotion of Gen. C.Q. Brown’s to Air Force chief of staff in 2020.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.